I've been using the RCBS Sidewinder tumbler for decades now. The liquid media is fast, real fast but it's not a cheap date to use if the brass is nasty. I'm considering stainless steel media but have questions about it.
1. Do you use a cleaner with it? If so, what do you use?
2 How do you separate the stainless media from the brass?
3 Considering I'm sitting on about 25lbs of red Lyman media, is it safe to use it with the stainless media for the added shine?
4 Yes, I understand that it never wears out and is good for life but how fast is it on nasty black brass and does it leave the brass like new or just clean?
5 Any issues with removing it from the cases like the red media getting stuck in primer pockets and flash holes?

Any comments are appreciated.

Many guys are using the pins with small amount of dawn and even smaller amount of Limishine (https://www.lemishine.com/) to clean the brass, then they rinse it well and place it out on to dry.  Some of the pins can be magnetic even though they are said to be stainless steel...some use colanders to separate but it is a job...
Some then use corncob media with Nufinish to polish it to a high luster...

Personally I do not like the wet method of cleaning pins or no pins.  Pins can get stuck inside the brass, flash holes, wet tumbling is also known to corrode the primer cups and staked primers can bust leaving the rim of the cup in the primer pockets.  Some of the chemicals can attack the brass itself, (some times it will turn orange or pink) Too much limishine!!!
Never use Ammonia as it will attack the brass chemically...

I start my corn cob media with some charcoal lighter fluid in the mix till completely no lumps.  This helps cut carbon and soot while the brass is cleaned and polished. adding polish will bring on a higher luster shine.  I also add 1" squares of Scott Blue Shop Towels about 12 or 15 they will accumulate the finer dust and carbon keeping media cleaner.

I use SS media as my only cleaning method and have done so for years. Dawn dish soap and Lemishine are the only things I have to buy. Friends of mine that reload were shocked at how well my brass turns out. It looks like new. Of the issues Shadow mentions, I only have the occasional pins stuck in a flash hole. If I don't see them, the depriming pin in my sizing die lets me know there's problem. It doesn't happen very often. Never had any pins become magnetic.

You must knock out the old primers first to have this process work well. I use a Harvey's hand depriming tool and a $20 Lee press with a universal decapping die to do this. Just depends where I feel like doing it.

So to answer Trappers questions:
1. About 1/2-1 tablespoons of Dawn dish soap and about 1/2 teaspoon of Lemishine. This is not a situation where more is better.

2. I use an ordinary rotary media separator. I fill it up with clean water about half way up the basket. After draining off as much of the water in the tumbler as possible, without pouring out my pins in the sink, pour everything in the separator basket. 5 slow spins in each directions and all the pins will be in the bottom of the separator. Then pull out the basket of clean brass and rinse under hot water until there are no signs of soap suds, takes about a minute. Then carefully pour the water out of the bottom half of the separator and return pins to tumbler. No need to dry the pins, they will not rust.

3. I've never tried a mixed media cleaning like that. I don't think it's necessary and would complicate the otherwise very simple process.

4. 3-3.5 hours for most brass is perfect. For absolutely filthy black brass, 3 hours, dump the solution water and replace with a fresh solution for 3 more hours. I guarantee that will clean any black brass back to looking like new.

5. The pins are too long to get stuck in the primer pockets. The do, on rare occasions, get stuck in the flash holes. It really doesn't happen that often.

The upsides are; it's very cost effective, no dust mess, the Dawn and Lemishine are at the grocery store, your press will stay really clean.

The downside is the drying time. I leave them on top of my clothes dryer on an old terry cloth towel (winter, basement 30% humidity) overnight. In the summer I put them on an old cookie sheet spray painted black outside in the sun. I've never had an issue with any water left in one.

If you'd like, I'll run a batch of your nastiest black brass and send it back to you. PM me if you're interested.

Quote from: Graybeard on March 19 2019 10:16:35 AM MDTNever had any pins become magnetic.

What I was stating is that even though the pins are Stainless Steel, there are some that can be attracted to a magnet.  Separating the pins from the brass by a magnet.

Quote from: The_Shadow on March 19 2019 10:45:08 AM MDT

Quote from: Graybeard on March 19 2019 10:16:35 AM MDTNever had any pins become magnetic.

What I was stating is that even though the pins are Stainless Steel, there are some that can be attracted to a magnet.  Separating the pins from the brass by a magnet.

Gotcha, yes I could see that. I've never tested a magnet on mine as it's not necessary to any part of the process.

QuoteIf you'd like, I'll run a batch of your nastiest black brass and send it back to you. PM me if you're interested.

I appreciate the offer but I already know what you mean about black brass looking new again. The mix I'm using is one ounce RCBS case cleaner, one ounce IOSSO, and 2 cups of 9% vinegar in one gallon of water. I use enough liquid to cover the brass. Black brass will look like new in 20 minutes. Shiny brass that just went thru gun and just needs a touch up gets a cup of vinegar in water enough to cover the brass. Looks like new when it comes out. But none of the above is a cheap date so I was looking for a cheaper route. I went ahead an ordered 2.5lbs of pins from GunTap and some of their cleaner. It uses a tablespoon of the powder per one gallon of water so it should last a long time........I think. It should be here by the end of the week so I'll find out this weekend how much I'll like it.

Universal decapping pin. I was wondering how I was going to handle the filthy brass and not get it all over the RCBS press. I have one of the old Lee presses in storage. Looks like it's going to get used for a change. I bought that press for 18 bucks maybe 30-40 years ago. All I've ever used it for was seating 218b bullets. Maybe now it will earn it's keep.

Since I'm already using a liquid media, I'm aware of the washing procedure. Your post will be helpful for others considering liquid media. I certainly won't use the nasty and dusty walnut or other types of media. It's liquid for me or I'll wait until I can use it. FAR faster and gets cases far cleaner in less time. I have an oven just for brass. It's a small commercial unit I got off of one of the jobsites years back. Works great and I only use 195-215F heat so it's not breaking a sweat for what I use it for. It's small enough that I can put it on the patio when I need to dry brass fast. Otherwise, I put it in front of the freezer in the garage where the exhaust comes out. Gets it dry in a few hours.

I appreciate the post Greybeard. You'r wisdom has directed me and probably will others that are looking for something far better than that red polishing crap that gets into everything. Never been a fan of having any "polish" as such on my brass. I just want the brass clean. Thanks again.

You're welcome Trapper. Once that powder runs out, don't hesitate to switch to the Dawn and Lemishine. The Costco size Dawn lasts a long time and the Lemishine seems to last forever.

Quote from: Trapper6L on March 18 2019 05:13:22 PM MDT
1. Do you use a cleaner with it? If so, what do you use?
2 How do you separate the stainless media from the brass?
3 Considering I'm sitting on about 25lbs of red Lyman media, is it safe to use it with the stainless media for the added shine?
4 Yes, I understand that it never wears out and is good for life but how fast is it on nasty black brass and does it leave the brass like new or just clean?
5 Any issues with removing it from the cases like the red media getting stuck in primer pockets and flash holes?

I use a frankford arsenal rotary pin tumbler.

1.  Yes, RCBS ultra-sonic cleaner, 1oz of solution and enough water to cover the brass.
2.  Magnet.  I have a basket spinner thing and it doesn't work well for me. 
3.  Haven't used it.
4.  With the RCBS cleaner my brass looks new.  I general run the tumbler for 1-2 hours, and it holds a bunch of cases.  Less cases, less time.
5.  The pins will sometimes stick in cases.  I have lost a couple of de-capping pins to them.

Overall, I love wet stainless rotary.  I will never to back.

Sqlbullet, you've peaked my curiosity. What's not working for you with the basket separator? I love this system, too I will never go back to walnut hulls, etc.

Quote from: Graybeard on March 19 2019 04:27:53 PM MDT
Sqlbullet, you've peaked my curiosity. What's not working for you with the basket separator? I love this system, too I will never go back to walnut hulls, etc.

I have the Frankford Arsenal Quick-N-EZ like this one:  https://www.midwayusa.com/product/183204/frankford-arsenal-quick-n-ez-rotary-media-separator-kit

No matter how slowly I revolve the basket, about half the pins end up on the counter/floor (and later in my or a family members foot).  The basket is also not sturdy enough to hold a full tumbler of brass.

Perhaps I would be better served with a fully enclosed model.

I second everything Graybeard said..

I use the FA tumbler and FA cleaner solution, but Graybeards solution would work well also.
You must de-prime first.. This is essential.  Otherwise the primer pockets will not dry out properly with a spent primer still in the pocket.

When I'm done tumbling, the contents of the tumbler barrel get poured through large colander on a five gallon bucket.  A few taps on each piece of brass that is picked out of the pile gets all the SS pins out usually.  Then each piece of brass then goes into a flat cake bake pan for drying, either out in the sun, or in the oven at 200° or so.  Once all the brass has been taken out of the colander the remaining SS pins in the colander are dumped into the five gallon bucket.  Then I get another five gallon bucket and place an  old towel over the top and secure the towel with a bungee cord.  I pour the contents of the first bucket onto the towel covered bucket and the towel lets all the dirty water go through but filters out all the SS pins.  Now a have a nice pile of wet pins in a towel that goes out into the sun, or on rainy days, goes into the oven along with the brass in another baking pan.  If any pins are discovered in the brass after drying they are gathered up and put in the main pile.
This might sound laborious, but it's not really.  The end result is far worth the effort!

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/713881/frankford-arsenal-platinum-series-rotary-case-tumbler

Got the stainless media in this AM. I had some resized Remington 9mm brass that has already gone thru the usual concoction of stuff I use and it was clean outside but still nasty inside. Using the "detergent" that came with the media, I ran it for 20 minutes just to see what it would do. The insides look just like the outsides now- brand new shiny clean. That's the good part.

The bad part, separating the stainless media was not a problem for me. The usual brass red media separator worked great. Rinsed the brass, dried the outside of the brass, put it in the oven at 215F. Now comes the Good Grief part! Now I have to clean the media per instructions. Washing this stuff is a royal pain and not losing it. I obviously haven't developed a system for cleaning the stainless media and drying. As of now, I'm using the lid to the media separator for washing the the little tykes and the media is on my work bench on a towel waiting for it to dry. I'm not about to put small parts like that in anything electric. So while YES, it works great, it's a PIA as of now. I can see that my old stuff is going to work for decent brass that just needs to be touched up. The stainless will come out when the brass needs a major scrubbing.

I have never cleaned my stainless media.  It never gets dirty....

What am I missing.

HHHMMMM. Maybe because it's the first time I used it and there was trash in the stainless media, I don't know. But the solution came out mighty black for brass that was already clean and shiny on the outside. When cleaning the media there was a LOT of black, almost carbon like, debris that got washed out. Most likely give it another round tomorrow if I can find the time. If not tomorrow, it'll be this weekend and see if it does it again. I thought the "clean the stainless media" was kinda strange in the instructions as I never read in my research that anybody mentioned having to clean the SS media.
From reading more at the makers website, this particular SS media is magnetic and of course they sell a magnet to pick it out. I'll be putting on the thinking cap, there has to be a better way.....kinda like RDub01's idea. I have several plastic 3 gallon buckets with lids that maybe I can do a mod on......

Quote from: sqlbullet on March 21 2019 04:03:26 PM MDT
I have never cleaned my stainless media.  It never gets dirty....

What am I missing.

Neither have I. Sounds like trapper's pins arrived with some black stuff on them from the manufacturing process? Maybe some debris from an abrasive cutting wheel mixed in?